This blog is meant to be a place to come and enjoy quilts with color, easy piecing, story quilts, laughter with a joke or two, a little wisdom,stories with sentiment, an editorial or two,encouragement to pay it forward, the idea that NICE is a good thing, some crafts, family, friends work, some painting, cooking and decorating and alot of creativity and invention from Mary Lou who is an author, designer, teacher, quilter, and Grandma

Sunday, February 28, 2016

I teach my students the seven styles of fabric and we go through their stashes to find what is missing and how it can make an OK quilt a GREAT quilt!

One thing that many people do not know about is "Light giver" fabric. This is MY original term and I have used it since 1988.

A lightgivers is a print with light, medium and dark all built into one fabric.

I came trim a painting background and owned a studio with my Father.

Most painters know that your number one goal is to create light in your paintings. Light pulls your eye into the surface of any art piece,

Somehow quilters do not know this lesson.

When I purchase fabrics my number one goal is to find light givers tp go with my other fabrics. The fabric above was designed by Sherill Kahn. She has light in most of the things she designs and I have used loads of it. I chose it to go on a special ,large quilt for a church because it looked like stained glass. Great light in this fabric and as you can see all three values in one fabric.

Fossil fern fabric is great because of the values and light.

Plaids often have a lot of light in them and so they pull your eye into the areas you choose to place them. Finding plaids is not easy but when you do, they can make a huge difference.

Notice the cat faces and how the ones with three values pull your eye in.

This fabric is one I designed. Notice there are 9 colors. Now notice there are multiple shades of the same colors. This gives it a water colors look and brings value and light into it. Look for many dots on the selvage- 14 or more is really great but make sure they are not every cor under the rainbow. You want multiples of the same fabrics. There are 6 blues in thefabric above that I designed.

See the light?

Above is a new fabric fr Benartex. I bought this in every color. Look at the built in light!

Here is another fabric I designed. It made a happy background for quilts. Sadly it is out of stock by a few years. I find it online sometimes on EBay. It came in six beautiful colors. See all

Of the values and shades of turquoise. Compare it to a fabric with only three dots (in turquoise) and uou will see how flat it is.

Students ask

What companies I like for buying lightgivers fabrics. First of all the fabric needs many of the same color family on the selvage and then you look

At it for light second and changing of values. Lay a flat fabric next to it and see the light come forth.

My favorite three companies for light givers are Timeless Treasures, Alexander Henry and Benartex. Keep in

Mind other companies do these and Hoffman and Robert Kaufman can also be quite good. Batiks naturally can be light givers but avoid tones and fabric with white mixed in.

There are many other secrets to

Sewing with a cute stash and tge reverts of light and color.

Wanna learn more?

Join us at my retreat in June- Happy Hen's Retreat my website below-

Marylouweidman.com

Or at Cedar Lakes West Virginia in Apr

or at Asilomar (full

This year.) check my schedule for other opportunities !

Write to Lattegirl@aol.com. To be a Part of our fun retreat. We have a couple openings for happy quilters!

Saturday, February 27, 2016

This week I had my daughter take a photo of me and goldilocks who laid double yolk eggs all of the time- they were huge!!!

Ethel (of Fred and Ethel) lays there waiting for her turn to be picked up

Tilly the chicken above was not the smartest but she was very pretty!

I ordered these chicken shoes and they arrived the day after the chickens left. Bad timing. But they are comfy and cute.

Tilly loves eating worms and I picked her up kind of late.

Above is the head chicken and top of the pecking order- her name is Loretta. She is feisty.

I had to give the chickens to my good friend with a chicken farm. She has lots of room and a nice family. I was traveling a lot and having to ask neighbor's to watch them and it was a hassle. They were someone to love and care for with Mark being gone. I kept them almost a year and I got tons of beautiful eggs. I learned lots about chickens too.

This is one of my chicken wallhangings about my Grandmother.

My retreat in June will have chickens as a theme. Marylouweidman.com look at the retreat post at the top and click on it for information. We need four more students. I have lots of fun prizes and beautiful chicken fabrics and patterns.

Additionally I plan to give everyone a pattern of a girl and instructions for putting things on her head on a hat. I hope to do a book challenge of this. I will give everyone a pattern they can put flowers, birds, chickens, items of all kinds and see what people come up with. I think this will make an awesome book and challenge for a fun quilt. At the retreat you can do this or your own Story Quilt or Flower Power quilt. It is going to be Put of the Box and lots of great fun!

Hope you can make it and help us fill

Those last four spots!

A lady with a hat )idea for a creative and different quilt)

Another sample of a lady's hat , chicken and fish and all. Hoping that some of my friends will

Take the challenge and come to the retreat. Miss Tina from LA will be flying in to cook for us and provide a cookbook. She is awesome. To sign up for the retreat write to me at lattegirl@aol.com

Thursday, February 18, 2016

This is an angel quilt made by Rose from Houston area. I taught an angel workshop there or in Galveston and she took my class and made this darling angel with a tea pot. 😊

Here is a nice photo above of the whole beautiful quilt. I just love it and imagine this hanging in your home. Very creative and love the asymmetrical borders.

I taught a workshop this week on doing quilts from children's art. I loved the drawings people brought in and also some that did their own. Such fun! So creative.

This darling girl took my class a couple of years ago and came back to do more and to share some of her work. I know her name starts with an "M" and if she sees this I hope she helps me out. Today I cannot remember my own name! Aren't these kitties cute?

And below a cat on a sewing machine is always great!

This was at show and tell and I loved the colors and designs though I never do this kind of work myself.

Below is the quilt made from the adorable drawing. We worked on borders that enhance and making them free form and fun. Love the colors in this!! Such fun!

Below is another wonderful story quilt from Peggy Clayton (I cannot remember her middle name today- nuts!) - but it is a wedding quilt for her Minister and it will be wonderful- note the hearts across the top (hoochy style). The cake in between them will have a bride and a groom on it. Peggy loves color!

Below is the newest in the kitty quilts. Shecdidctgevhoochy borders and got a fish bowl in there and the cats tail will hold a fishing pole with a wirm over the bowl! Haha.

Below is a story quilt that will be wonderful- she is going to be tossing things in the air and her hair will be glowing and made out of Rick rack that was her Mothers. The skirt is going to be something else when it's done. She has a list of winderful and happy happy ideas.

Story quilts make for happy endorphins! No cranky girls in this atmosphere. Only happy with lots of laughs and new friendships. Inlove it!

Awesome colors!!!!

Such a darling design. What child would not LOVE a handmade quilt to keep

The rest of their lives. And what Mother or Grabdmother or Aunt would not love this?

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If you would like to take s fun Story quilt class for 4 1/2 days I am teaching in April at Cedar Lakes in West Virginia. It is a beautiful place that inspires because of its beauty. We stay in the same building as our workroom and Gloria who runs the programs is really wonderful. April 24th to 29th.

It is the most economic longer Workshop for stories that I teach. Right now there are openings and we would love to have you! We usually have one evening for horsderves and anyone who wants to show a craft or something cool. It is really fun! Most people come there from out of State and that part is really fun too!

Buttons Treasures by Mary Lou Weidman

Monkey;s love snow too

Kathy Collin's Cow

Van Gogh's cow- Iowa

The newest cow we have seen...please make a cow for our cow parade show all over the US next year!

Ann's psycowdelic cow from Quilting Adventures in the Hill Country

Ann and I graduated the same year and I think we both loved the 60's!

MOOlon Rouge cow by Sandy Fisher

Is this fun or what? A French COW!

The nicest guy in the world

And his Granddaughter who takes after him

A COW with a REAL tutu and head phones....

Stephanie Davis who has a blog made this happy cow

My Kind of COW

Do you see what I see? I love it!

Great Interview with Mary Lou and Mel McFarland

http://www.martingale-pub.com/news/?p=493

Check out the MANY cows on this blog!

click here to see them! Isn't this cow cute?

Mary Lou's schedule for workshops and classes

http://marylouweidman.com/schedule.aspx
To book a workshop, contact MaryLou at Marylouquilts@aol.com or her new phone number 509-924-8822

God continues His creativity through you!

Isn't this mind blowing and wonderful?
Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established. —Proverbs 16:3

For Retreats on Christmas I am teaching

Would love to teach for your guild-Christmas is a great workshop for originality and joy!

Mary Lou's Pacific Grove CA story quilt-hope you can see it in person-it is big and fun and colorfu

This quilt is now in the Del Thomas Collection

Cat Nabber

Isn't this cute?

Haha

Poor Clem

Yup

It's Summertime

Mark and My Son with Mark's Cadallac he bought when he found out he was Ill...

This 10 year old car (that we could afford) Mark's dream...I love these two men-they are both so good in so many ways...

This blog and the Girl who writes it are wonderful!

http://henhousestudio.blogspot.com/
So a couple of weeks ago I was in a little restaurant eating with my daughter in law when the cutest lady came up to me and asked if I was "Mary lou". And she is the author of a blog I go to often!
So I am putting her address here so you can check her out too.
Go back a ways and look at her darling glasses on her cute face! She is just the kid of quilter everyone wants to meet!

Reminds of of my Grandma

This is how I want to be....

My husband and my Granddaughter

My son's Father in law sent this to me and melted my heart-I LOVE these two kids!

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Cleaning Friends :0)

My daughter and her best friend from high school came to dust and clean and love-wonderful to see how these girls have grown up. I am blessed

Cow Quilt Says it All-Pam Toombs makes a great Cow quilt!

The back of the quilt says "On the other side"

Tazuti Zoo Dolls Make me Happy

Love the dolls Emily makes in Pacific Grove California- MORE great color!

HAVE A COW WHY DON'T YOU?

Cows from Made from a simple cow pattern from "Out of the Box with Easy Blocks" -cow takes about 2 to 2 1/2 hours to make and then the fun begins....making your cow theme awesome and fun!

Swedish Expression from Mom and Grandma

"My Mom's Favorite Expression"

PATTY HARANTS NECKLACE

Patty spent part of the day looking at Museums and eating Memphis BarBQue with me and I could not get over how delightful this necklace was- Thought you would love it too. Stay tuned for photos from my Memphis Adventure....

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Moo'ey Fiesta

Bottle tree Magic

You all know how I adore bottle trees and I found this one...I would LOVE to make this! Need to find a couple of bar tenders who sell alot of vodka....

Caiti Wallace Makes Out of the Box Cats!

Isn't this a HAPPY Quilt? Great job Caiti! Chicago quilters rock!

A Mary Lou Style Sewing Machine-Wish It was Mine!

Kim B's COW quilt!

Quilting Adventure's Kim is a talented quilter in her own right! VERY fun

Got to see the real painting in person in Chicago

I lived this painting but it is smaller than I thought

This is Happy!

Want a Happy Feel Good Story-Made my week!-Watch this!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBYPlcSD490&feature=youtu.be

Thank you Sandi

Color and Plaids make for easy and beautiful quilts!

Great Quote to live by

" A good listener is a great flatterer"

Listen to this before bed-it is happy and true and a blessing to each of us

http://www.wimp.com/simplegratitude/

Blocks for my Granddaughter's bug quilt

All of these blocks will be sashed with checkboards or more dots...need a full size quilt-So fun!

Mary Lou Explains her Family Vacation Story Quilt

Great Fun with friends from the past -TEXAS with Janice and Debby

Quilting Adventures- I need a haircut...

Fun at the Museum

Mary Lou at Crystal Bridges Art Museum-trying to walk like the guy in front of me....

My Quilt called "View from a Five Yr. Old"

I used to watch my Mom in her garden when I was little

Throughout life, one does not miss any chance to hold onto the things that are really precious, if one is truly wise. Ed Greenwood

Great Photos of Mary Lou's Retreat and Farm Chicks

www.shhdesigns.blogspot.comSandi'sBlog gives you a good idea of the fun and creativity of my retreat in Idaho and also Mary Lou's other blog-Marylouweidman.blogspot.com

So True-share your power

Adorable and Creative!

Tina's Clock from Farm Chicks Show

Cow by Sandi Henscel From Canada!

I don't know why but it made me laugh out loud- maybe because it is so stupid, Haha

Snappy Gram

My style and a quilt story for sure!

Is this the cutest? Soon she will get dressed and begin quilting

"The success's of His people are always achieved by dependence on HIm. Micah 5:10-14

Mary Lou's Grandpa and Grandpa story quilt

Stacked Books!

Mary Lou's Crush

The Tulsa girls brought me a photo of my favorite actor! James Garner is a "real" man....

Mary Lou And Jane C- we love color!

Candy from Oregon

Full Moon Story Quilt-see at Sister's Show this year

As I quiet my inner critic, I invite creativity to come alive and I create my masterpiece,
Everything created by God is good.- 1Timothy 4:4

Is this gorgeous or what? This spring, new quilt coming in these colors! Stay tuned

WORRYING does not take away tomorrow's TROUBLES, it takes away today's PEACE

2012 is a perfect year to mix and match those fabrics in your stash using Hoochy blocks for FUN!

Gracie Allen's Classic Recipe for Roast Beef -thank you Carol

1 large Roast of beef
1 small Roast of beef
Take the two roasts and put them in the oven.
When the little one burns, the big one is done

Laurie Latta's Darling Quilt for her Granddaughter

Started in Class at Asilomar this quilt turned out to be a real Prizewinner!

I am itching to do more chicken quilts...color and fun

So, what is his point? Haha

"There is a fine line between what people call a "hobby" and Mental illness"

Dave Berry

I love this verse...it makes me feel very special and loved

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you;” Jeremiah 1:5

SMILE- in the new book-don't you love this word? Two alphabet's and license to have FUN!

I want this sofa if you win the lotto please

Romans 8:28

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

The Power of Flowers!

I Miss My Mom

"The best conversations with Mothers always take place in silence, when only the heart speaks"